Is Bhavtegh Singh Still in the Running for the ISSF World Championship?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Bhavtegh Singh Gill remains in contention for finals.
- He scored a total of 97 hits after Day 2.
- The competition is fierce with many tied scores.
- Finals are set for Sunday, offering a chance for redemption.
- Strong performances from other Indian competitors highlight a growing talent pool.
New Delhi, Oct 11 (NationPress) Bhavtegh Singh Gill of India remains in the race for a finals spot at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championship Shotgun 2025 after the second day of men's skeet qualification, achieving a total of 97 hits at the Malakasa Shooting Range in Athens, Greece, on Saturday.
After an impeccable start, Bhavtegh scored rounds of 24 and 23 on Saturday, keeping him in close pursuit of the top six competitors. Currently leading the pack are three-time World Champion Vincent Hancock from the United States and World No. 4 Jakub Tomecek from Czechia, both with 99 hits.
The leaderboard is highly competitive, with ten shooters tied at 98, while Bhavtegh finds himself just one hit behind Henrik Jansson from Sweden, Christian Elliott from the USA, and seven others at 97.
Among the other Indian participants, Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan is in 81st place with 92 hits (24, 21, 25, 22), and Asian champion Anantjeet Singh Naruka is in 91st with 90 hits (24, 24, 20, 22) after four rounds.
Bhavtegh Singh achieved a flawless score of 50 on Day 1.
India's Bhavtegh Singh Gill, a two-time Junior World Championship medallist, kicked off his campaign at the ISSF World Championship Shotgun 2025 in Athens with an outstanding performance, hitting all 50 targets on the first day of men’s skeet qualification.
This perfect round placed him alongside prestigious company, including four-time Olympic champion and three-time World Champion Vincent Hancock, 2000 Olympic gold medallist Mikola Milchev from Ukraine, Henrik Jansson, Kacper Jerzyall Baksalary from Poland, and Emil Kjeldgaard from Denmark, all of whom also achieved perfect scores to share the lead after Day 1.
In the women's skeet event, World No.1 Samantha Simonton from the USA is currently leading with 98 hits. Indian shooter Raiza Dhillon is in 29th place with 91 hits (23, 22, 24, 22), followed by Ganemat Sekhon in 38th with 88 hits (21, 22, 21, 24), and Parinaaz Dhaliwal in 43rd position with 87 hits (21, 23, 22, 21).
The final round of qualification is set for Sunday, after which the top six shooters in both men's and women's events will advance to the finals, scheduled for 5:30 PM IST (women's) and 7:00 PM IST (men's) on Sunday.